In addition to the IRL racing on Belle Isle, we also had the fun and hard-charging swagger of ALMS racing. We has the opportunity to tag along with Corvette Racing, who snagged a swank chalet location right on the corner of turn seven this year, a perfect spot to watch the Jake-emblazoned Corvette C6.R's doing their thing. The American LeMans Series runs four different classes simultaneously; GT2, GT1, LMP2 and LMP1, each with escalating levels of financial backing. With a crowded track and hugely varying performance capabilities, it can be a treat to watch.
LeMans Prototype 2 (LMP2) saw great success for Andretti Green Racing and the Acura racing program as the AGR team finished first and Acura took all three podium spots. The one, two, three finish also catapulted Acura past Porsche in the manufacturers championship as well. We're betting there was a fair bit of off-colored language amongst the Porsche teams following that result. This year's race provided a little post-race drama to go along with the action on the track. The first car to cross the line in the LeMans Prototype 1 class (LMP1) was, no surprise, the diesel-powered Audi R10, the beastly dominator of the class since it's debut. However after the post race weigh in, the car was disqualified after it was discovered to be 2 pounds under weight. No surprise in the results in the GT1 races; with the only four entries being two Corvette C6Rs and two Aston Martin DBR9s, the result was almost over before it began. One of the Astons nosed into the wall on the first lap and for the remainder the C6R's dominated. Oliver Gavin and Olivier Beretta bested teammates Johnny O'Connell and Jan Magnussen for the first time since late March, and the DBR9 of Terry Borcheller finished third. GT2 saw a one-two finish this year from Flying Lizard racing, the guys who ended up with a Porsche 911-flambe last year. Their win comes as the third one-two finish of the year and pushed them further ahead into the season points lead. A couple Ford GT40's are in the pack this year and while they sounded great, one nailed the wall and the other finished slow.